The Physician Work-Pay Gap Widens 

The same financial pressures hospitals are facing are increasingly evident at the physician enterprise level, according to Kaufman Hall’s latest quarterly “Physician Flash Report,” which is based on data from more than 200,000 employed providers — physicians and advanced practice providers — across more than 100 specialties. Provider productivity continues to climb, even as reimbursement and compensation lag behind, according to the report. Provider productivity — measured by work relative value units per full-time equivalent — has increased 7% since 2023. Over the same period, provider compensation rose 6%, while reimbursement declined 1%, as measured by net patient revenue per provider wRVU. The imbalance is driving higher practice subsidies. The report also highlights continued workforce shifts, with advanced practice providers now comprising 40.7% of the provider workforce. While APPs are helping health systems meet rising patient demand, the data point to growing financial strain across physician enterprises as productivity gains fail to translate into improved reimbursement.

Behavioral Health Conditions Outrank Diabetes, Cancers Among Commercially Insured

Chronic behavioral health conditions account for close to one-third of the most prevalent health matters among commercially insured patients.

Anxiety disorders, mental illness and depressive disorders were the three most frequently observed across insurance claims in 2024 — surpassing obesity, diabetes, heart disease and a swath of other chronic diagnoses — according to a new report from FAIR Health.

These three mental health conditions were among the top ten out of 44 total that were analyzed in the report, with anxiety disorders occurring in 14.6% of patient claims, mental illness accounting for 10.5% and depressive disorders at 8.8%. According to FAIR Health, 57.5% of commercially insured patients have at least one of the 44 chronic conditions, with 11.5% of patients having two co-occurring chronic diagnoses. 

Engage, Empower, Treat:  A Behavioral Health  ECHO Learning Series

AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio, in collaboration with Project ECHO, is excited to launch Engage, Empower, Treat: A Behavioral Health ECHO series — an emerging case-based learning model for practitioners. Continuing education for providers who participate in this series will be applied for through Arizona State University, for physicians and nurses, and the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board for social workers, licensed professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists. This opportunity doesn’t cost anything for participating AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio practitioners. Please read on for more information and register to join this ECHO model clinic.

The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model was developed by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and is now used nationwide and internationally. 

To sign up for the virtual ECHO series, please email [email protected].
Further registration instructions will be emailed to you.

What is the ECHO model?
The ECHO model facilitates case-based learning for front-line practitioners via teleconferencing clinics. Similar to virtual chart
rounds, the ECHO model creates a space where practitioners can share knowledge and build support to better manage patients with complex care needs.

For more information on Project ECHO, please visit https://echo.unm.edu.

What’s the goal of this program?
Engage, Empower, Treat: A Behavioral Health ECHO Learning Series exists to:

• Provide education to increase screening and treatment of behavioral health disorders among members in physical health settings.
• Recognize symptoms, adaptations, or somatic complaints in response to a traumatic experience.
• Build skills to successfully engage members in treatment through motivational interviewing and harm reduction interventions.

Click here to view the event flyer!

Governor DeWine Announces New Child Wellness Campuses to Keep Children Closer to Home

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Director Kara Wente today announced funding support for six child wellness campuses across Ohio. The campuses will provide short-term, therapeutic care for children and youth with complex needs, helping keep them closer to their families, schools, and communities. 

“These campuses will address a critical gap in care,” said Governor DeWine. “Too often, children with complex needs are placed far from home simply because the right services aren’t available nearby. The new and expanded child wellness campuses will provide a local, community-based option focused on safety, assessment, healing, and stability.” 

In partnership with the Ohio General Assembly, Governor DeWine directed $20 million from Ohio’s operating budget to support the creation of four new child wellness campuses and the expansion of two existing campuses. Together, the funded campuses will expand Ohio’s capacity to serve children and youth with complex needs in settings designed specifically for stabilization and healing.

The following communities/organizations were selected to receive funding:  

• Talbert House Inc., Hamilton County 
• Unison Behavioral Health Group, Northwest Ohio 
• Safe Opportunity Foster Alliance, Southeast Ohio (Expansion)
• Buckeye Ranch Inc., Central Ohio 
• Cleveland Christian Home Inc., Cuyahoga County (Expansion)
• Champions Bridge, Franklin County    

“Child wellness campuses are rooted in local communities,” said DCY Director Wente. “This funding helps communities build or expand short-term, therapeutic spaces that support children close to home, strengthen family connections, and ensure the right care at the right time.” 

Child wellness campuses provide immediate, short-term stabilization and assessment for children and youth who do not have a safe or appropriate place to stay and are not already in licensed residential care. These campuses offer an alternative to unlicensed settings such as hotels, shelters, or agency buildings, reducing trauma and improving continuity of care. 

The model prioritizes safety, youth voice, and timely assessment. Wraparound team meetings begin within hours of admission, with rapid assessments to guide next steps and longer-term services. Campuses will offer on-site individual and family therapy, partner with local stakeholders through regional Child Wellness Advisory Committees, and develop sustainability plans once start-up funding ends. 

The number of children that can be served at each campus will be based on community need.